Tweak

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Tweak says, "Mrs Peacock was a man?"

Ikeda Kiriko | 池田妃凛子 (apathyisboring) wrote in disappear_rpg,
@ 2009-06-20 00:47:00

Entry tags:

Flying Pigs and Polite Conversation
Who: Kiriko and Reizo
What: Surprising amounts of cordiality.
Where: The roof of the school.
When: After School
Why: Kiriko's having a rarer sort of bad day.

Kiriko sat on the ground near the door of the roof, her knees drawn up to her chest with one arm tucked beneath them just to keep her skirt up. The other held her cell phone, flipped open to a text from almost ten minutes ago. She frowned at the screen - she wasn't reading it anymore, but found herself habitually flipping the phone open and staring, as though expecting the message to suddenly disappear if only she willed it away hard enough. Sighing through her nose, she flipped the phone closed. Her head hit the wall she was leaning against with a soft 'thunk' as she tipped it back and closed her eyes.

Shirai was supposed to be here, but good for him if he ditched. She hadn't bothered to cancel their meeting, but was more than content to suddenly have some alone-time available. She couldn't go home yet - the text had implored her to. Apparently, her parents were trying to reach her there since she'd blocked the number on her cell for the time being. Her roomate was sick of the ringing.

Like she cared.

Moments later, Kiriko flipped open her phone to the text screen again.

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apathyisboring
2009-06-23 01:41 am UTC (link)

"I've got two," she explained. "I switched phones after I moved here."

She watched with a frown as he pulled the cigarette pack from his rolled-up sock. So that's where he kept them... Maybe not the most genius of hiding places, but she had wondered why nobody ever picked them out of his bag or his locker and had assumed that all of the school's authorities had deemed it to be far more trouble than it was worth. With another little sigh, she folded her hands in her lap and turned her head, looking out at the schoolgrounds from the roof (and hoping not to catch a facefull of cigarette smoke).

"I called you before they called me. I figured there was no point in cancelling, might as well get the work done with now since you're probably pretty busy and all. Plus, with that 'other world,' things are... unpredictable."

The way she articulated the last word made her distaste for it plenty clear, but she spoke it with a thoughtful frown rather than the usual pursed-lips, irritated expression she reserved for the plethora of things she found less than desireable. She stared out for a few moments more, her head falling back against the wall eventually, but her eyes still skimming the horizon rather than looking to him.

"You're pretty lucky to live alone."

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some_other_dog
2009-06-23 01:41 am UTC (link)

He was peering at her almost cautiously, cigarette smoke puffing out at irregular intervals out of his nostrils or sides of his mouth and posture relaxed. Lazy. He only nodded at her explanation, eyes lowering when she mentioned the other world and a half-smile lighting on his lips. That world was something else alright. Nothing he’d asked for, but he had to admit it was sort of fun to go balls out on those monsters, unafraid of maiming or killing them. It was what they were supposed to do after all. Still, it was a little annoying that his new comrades were as strong (or almost as strong, he would sniff) as he was and they’d just started fighting (as far as he knew). Call some crazy god from your noggin, be as powerful as someone who’d been training their entire life! Granted, he had the same power, but that damned mutt was lazy and disagreeable. The only thing they seemed to see eye-to-eye on was cigarettes.

He shook his head to shake it free of the rumination, and tried to focus on her and not the light sweat that’d seemed to form on her brow and legs. Damned dream. He pinched the bridge of his nose miserably and lowered his gaze to the floor again, then shot back right up to look at her once more with a bark of “Hah!”

“Yeah, real great setup I got. If I don’t keep that thing damned spotless, mom comes out and beats the shit out of me, and the only reason I’m doing it otherwise is ‘cuz my dad fuc--” He came to an abrupt stop mid-sentence, glaring hard at the girl and puffing angrily on his cigarette. The look in his eye made it obvious that he somehow blamed her for roping him in on this explanation.

“It’s not a picnic for me,” he breathed out eventually. “You met that bratty neighbor kid too, how can you say that’s lucky?”

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apathyisboring
2009-06-23 01:44 am UTC (link)

It was the abrupt stop that drew her eye back to his, and despite the accusatory look, she tipped her head quizzically. What about his dad? For all the rumours that were flying around about Reizo's family, you'd think his father would come up more. Or maybe that's exactly why he didn't. Kiriko was curious, but knew better than to ask - she wasn't about to deny her own nosiness, but she'd apparently just landed on something Shirai of all people found uncomfortable and pressing it seemed the very definition of futility.

"He wasn't that bratty," she said with a tiny shrug of her shoulders. "I mean, I'd rather deal with a little kid than my roommates. One of them is spying on me and the other one never shuts up. At least a kid like Takumi-kun has an excuse to be annoying and doesn't own one of your house keys."

Kiriko simpered a little as she spoke, remembering her adventure to his apartment. She felt a bit like she had when was back there, talking to Misaki. How stupid that being candid made her feel the most self-conscious.

"Actually, I was kind of impressed that you kept it so clean. I wouldn't have the patience for something like that. I guess if you were forced, that would explain it..."

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some_other_dog
2009-06-23 01:56 am UTC (link)

The cynical look he gave her said all it needed to, and he went back to smoking his cigarette silently. The compliment sounded a little off to him, but the statement tacked on at the end set it right. He wouldn’t honestly expect anything different from Ikeda. He pinched his cigarette out with a quick expert twist of his fingers and tucked it behind one ear, intent to focus on her.

His eyes drug up and down her, thankfully resisting the urge to stick where any 15 year old boy’s eyes would, and with the way his head was tipped back, it was clear he was sizing her up. What she PROBABLY didn’t know was that he was trying to figure out if Fox actually fit her. Before the whole persona business, fox had not been what he’d compared her to, but the fact that her damned head-god was one was pretty hard to argue against..

He sighed and tipped his head back skyward, standing back up and turning away to walk over to the chain link fence ringing the roof. He grappled it with a frown and gave it a gentle shake. Damned Japanese suicide rates.

“If you had my mom after you to do something, you wouldn’t hesitate either,” he was looking away from her, but the tone was strangely warm and suggested he was smiling.

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apathyisboring
2009-06-23 01:59 am UTC (link)

The look her gave her made her feel only more self-conscious, and also defensive - the defensiveness, however, she found herself almost thankful for. It was a reaction she was far more familiar with, at least in Shirai's presence. She fought to keep her shoulders from drawing up too tightly and frowned hard at him until he turned his attention elsewhere.

She relaxed and leaned back to the wall when he walked away. Apparently they weren't going to be having another pointless staring contest. Some part of her felt slightly disappointed for it, the better part acknowledging that she wasn't even in the mood to win.

His tone disoriented her again. She wasn't really used to not arguing, and however much she didn't feel like it, the polite conversation was making her a little uncomfortable. And what if he decided to be an asshole about it later? She hoped she didn't sound as anxious as she felt.

"Yeah, my mom's pretty pushy, too, but my dad's worse," she answered slowly, clearly a little unsure of how to respond to him. "But I figured your dad would be pushing you around more."

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some_other_dog
2009-06-25 01:15 am UTC (link)

The chuckle was bitter and dark, and when he rounded on the pretty girl he was grinning wide. He was hunkered down beside her in a second, leaning in uncomfortable close until she could all but smell the stench of cigarette on him. He puffed a cloud out of the corner of his mouth, thankfully away from her, but the wind caught it and blew it back into both their faces-- he grinned wider.

“You don’t know jackshit about my dad, Ikeda, so don’t go runnin’ your mouth like you do,” was all he said amidst that shark-toothed grin, cigarette jutting wildly out from one corner of his mouth. Apparently his dad was a touchy subject. A very touchy one.

“He’s the reason I got that damned place in the first place.”

He stood back up quickly, using her slender shoulders as support to push off of.

“But if he wasn’t around, I wouldn’t be the man I am today. Wouldn’t that be terrible?”

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apathyisboring
2009-06-25 01:19 am UTC (link)

Again, Kiriko frowned. She hadn't actually meant to say anything to trip his proverbial switch (for once) and though his body language was clearly designed to threaten and intimidate, she felt nothing but a twinge of disappointment. Why, she couldn't say, but she stared dumbly at him and that shark-toothed grin she had seen a hundred times before and wondered why he was even bothering. She hadn't been running her mouth at all, and even Shirai wasn't stupid enough to mistake passing mention for insult; though maybe it was understandable he'd react that given the nature of their relationship. Still, it was almost pathetic that this was apparently the only way he knew how to mark a topic out of bounds.

Kiriko just sighed.

Frowning to his back after he had turned, she rubbed one of her shoulders. She didn't appreciate being touched as such, though she supposed she should count herself lucky; the last person who Reizo grinned at and laid a finger on might not have been so lucky as to come away completely unharmed but with mildly ruffled feathers.

"Sorry, then," she murmured, dusting off her skirt as she got slowly to her feet. There wasn't anything else to say. She already knew a fight wasn't worth it. Even more pointless was pointing out that being the man he was today wasn't necessarily a good thing, not that she'd have the courage to say it either way.

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some_other_dog
2009-06-25 01:55 am UTC (link)

He bit down hard on his lower lip with his back turned to Kiriko, keeping himself from doing whatever he felt rising up out of the anger that’d suddenly overtaken him. The thought of his father annoyed him, but not so much as some ignorant bitch commenting on their relationship, harmless or no. He rounded on her again, eyes flicking up and down her, looking a little confused. She’d just apologized to him?

“Well..” he started, deflating a little. He wasn’t sure what he was angry at right now: that she’d mentioned his dad or that he’d reacted to bait that wasn’t even really there. Or if he should be feeling that angry at his father, really.. It wasn’t as if he wanted anything but “the best” for Reizo. Preparing him for the hardships in his life that undoubtedly lurked around the corner of adulthood.

“Yeah,” he muttered, shaking his head a little before he locked eyes with her.

“What’s so bad about your parents? Just busy and never home?”

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apathyisboring
2009-06-25 02:00 am UTC (link)

She slung her bag over her shoulder as she met his eye again, adjusting the strap and looking back a bit suspiciously but not answering right away. He was confused, now. Good. That made her feel a bit better about the whole thing.

But good enough to disclose anything about her parents?

"It's nothing like that," she said with a little shake of her head. Her eyes seemed to find some particularly interesting piece of gravel and focus in on it for a moment as she considered, silent. "I guess you could say that if it weren't for my father, I wouldn't be the woman I am today." The statement was followed by a breath of laughter.

When she looked up to him again, her face featured another self-conscious smile, this one almost apologetic. She wasn't mocking him, that much was obvious, but she wasn't really sure if she was comfortable giving any kind of straight answer on her parents, even if the person she was talking to didn't give a damn either way. The smile faded as rapidly as it had appeared, her eyes straying from his face to some particularly interesting piece of air to the left of his shoulder, then back to the gravel, and finally settling on the door.

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some_other_dog
2009-06-25 11:49 pm UTC (link)

He eyed her suspiciously, head canted to one side and arms folded back over his chest after he’d rounded back to face her. He wasn’t sure if she was mocking him, or if the way she refused to look him in the eye made up for it or somehow made it all worse. He frowned harder at her, peering curiously into her face as she stared down at her shoes. The way she refused to look him in the face for too long and was so quick to apologize put him on edge. Meekness was not a setting he knew the smarmy girl possessed.

“What is it, then?” he asked curtly, more solemnly than he had meant to. He was just picking her brain, right? Not concerned for her.

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apathyisboring
2009-06-25 11:52 pm UTC (link)

She considered telling him, just for a moment - just for the sake of telling somebody - but quickly decided against it. It was true that he wouldn't fret or worry or try to "fix it" like Misaki would, or some of her other friends. In fact, he'd probably just ignore it. But, she didn't exactly trust him and the last thing she wanted to do was give him ammunition against her for their next inevitable argument, or God forbid, ammunition for some kind of blackmail.

Besides, she didn't want to talk about it. There was no point in talking about it. It wouldn't change anything.

"You almost sound worried about me, Shirai," she chuckled. If he reacted as she predicted, that would be the end of that.

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some_other_dog
2009-06-25 11:57 pm UTC (link)

“I’m not worried about YOU,” he spat back at her, frowning to himself and disappearing around the corner of the door’s roof again. A second later and the sound of a large boy clambering up the latter to the top of it, back to his habitually spot, was heard. He hung his long legs over the edge, leaning back on his palms and wondering just what exactly he was getting himself into with the next question.

“But I am curious about your family and just who would spawn someone like you.”

That was true, right? He stared back up at the sky, pretending the silence of the wait didn’t bother him.

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apathyisboring
2009-06-26 12:19 am UTC (link)

She had figured what she said would put him off, but no dice, it seemed. A little deflated, she turned her back to the wall and leaned against it, her heels dug into the gravel but most of the rest of her feet off the ground. Slowly, she slid back down the wall into the position she'd originally been in, taking the time to adjust her skirt so it was proper while she thought of something to say.

"I thought you said you had a big file on us Ikedas."

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some_other_dog
2009-06-26 03:46 am UTC (link)

“My father does. Not me,” he grumbled low. “But don’t think I can’t get it if I don’t want to.. Well, even then, it’s not really got what I’m asking about.” His heels clunked against the wall they were dangling against as he kicked them almost boredly. He stopped just long enough to lift a leg up and take out another cigarette, lighting it with the old one before flicking it away and replacing it.

“I already know money had a part in making you, not much that file can tell me..” he confirmed again with a slow, thoughtful nod of his head.

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apathyisboring
2009-06-26 04:01 am UTC (link)

A part in making her? The way he said it put a bad taste in her mouth. What exactly was he asking all of the sudden, and why?

"Yeah, I was pretty expensive," she said dryly, folding her arms over her knees and resting her chin on her forearms. "My parents were going to go with a human child but they decided to build me instead, so..."

The wind carried ash from his cigarette in front of her eyes and she made a note to check her hair for it, later. Behind her teeth, she bit her tongue, hesitating before the next question.

"What do you want to know, then?"

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some_other_dog
2009-06-27 01:30 am UTC (link)

“Keep your friends close and your enemies yadda yadda,” he half-quoted. He peered down at her through the gap in his legs, leaning his elbows down onto his thighs and cupping his chin in a palm while doing so. It was a nice day, but the way the clouds were gathering and darkening on the horizon brought a promise of rain at the least, a severe thunderstorm at worst.

“Why a call from your parents would freak you out so bad might be a good start,” he answered. He peered down at her through the gap in his legs, leaning his elbows down onto his thighs and cupping his chin in a palm while doing so. It was a nice day, but the way the clouds were gathering and darkening on the horizon brought a promise of rain at the least, a severe thunderstorm at worst.

“So’re you gonna keep dodging or answer?”

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apathyisboring
2009-06-27 01:43 am UTC (link)

Kiriko looked up. She could see his shoes hanging over the edge of the roof but not much else. Should she say anything? It wasn't like he'd have anybody to tell. He probably wouldn't even get it if she didn't give the whole story. He might just laugh and forget it.

Or he might not.

But, he'd already seen her getting so upset - that more than anything was what she didn't want anybody knowing. Besides, he'd probably harass her about any reason she gave for being depressed and even if he said anything, it wouldn't be like he had any proof...

She shrugged her shoulders.

"They called and yelled at me for not being engaged to a suitable son-in-law yet."

They said telling people about your problems was supposed to make you feel better, but she was just holding her breath, wondering if she should have opened her mouth at all.

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some_other_dog
2009-06-27 01:45 am UTC (link)

He did, in fact, laugh at that. It was a short, terrible thing that seemed to get stuck in his chest and forced out in a hack. His cigarette came tumbling down from above, the wind catching it and blowing the light stick luckily west of her, but a burning ember or two did catch on her skirt. Reizo was none the wiser, as he was busy pounding his chest; for all she knew, he’d gotten a really bad gulp of air.. Or her answer was so ludicrous that it nearly made him swallow his cigarette.

“Goddammit,” he hissed, cleared his throat once more, and leaned a little further over the edge to look down at the girl. He regarded her silently, eyes dancing over the dark halo of her hair and the porcelain features he could make from up high.

“Well it’s not like the school’s lacking in any number of sniveling coward rich boys who’d die for that chance,” he sniffed.

“Maybe you’re too picky.”

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apathyisboring
2009-06-27 01:49 am UTC (link)

She could tell he was laughing, and so it pleased her tremendously that he was choking on it, too. The sly smile that had spread across her face vanished when she noticed the embers on her skirt. She brushed them off, perhaps a little more panickedly than she should have - she knew firsthand how much damage fire could cause, after all - and looked up with a frown. Another coughing fit later and she saw his face appear over the lip of the building. When he finished speaking, there was another smile playing on her lips. She laughed quietly as she leaned forward again, laying her cheek against her arms and smiling to herself.

"I think you're missing the point, Shirai, but that's alright."

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some_other_dog
2009-06-27 01:51 am UTC (link)

“Mmph,” he answered, nonplussed. Wasn’t the first time he’d heard that. He fingered at the last cigarette hidden away in his sock pensively for a moment, and eventually popped it out to light it. The conversation wasn’t bad, but a constant supply of nicotine kept him much less grouchy, not that he really cared if he was grouchy towards her.

“So, what, you’re gonna get married outta high school? Don’t much seem like it fit’s a foxface like you.”

He paused for a moment, letting it sink in, before he frowned.

“What sort of guy are you even looking for? No one in this school, I imagine.”

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apathyisboring
2009-06-27 01:57 am UTC (link)

She was tracing the wrinkles in her sleeve with one hand, again feeling uncomfortably vulnerable. Well, it wasn't too bad to have said something... yet. In the pause before he spoke again - she supposed for a cigarette or something - and she imagine what the reactions of some of her friends might be like. Probably pitiful; exactly what she didn't want.

"I'm not looking for any guy," she answered simply. He was probably right, though - if she did start looking for someone, it would most likely be for someone outside of school. Most of the guys at Nanakamodo were either stuffy, boring, or raised with the same attitude as her father...

She scolded herself for daydreaming like that. Talk about false hope. The best she could do for herself now was look for somebody tolerable in school or drag her feet for as long as she could.

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some_other_dog
2009-06-27 01:59 am UTC (link)

“A girl then? You look at Rabbit pretty funny from time to time,” he mused, remembering the time she had candidly suggested they get married; though hadn’t that just been to seal the deal to annoy him with the Takumi thing? Frowning, he pitched forward a little further, getting a better look down at her and consequently showing off said frown.

He didn’t look worried, just confused and a little weirded out.

“Why’re your parents so worried about getting you married off right away, anyway?”

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apathyisboring
2009-06-27 02:07 am UTC (link)

"Tch, quit acting like Kanaye." He was probably referring to back in their apartment. Truthfully, it probably wouldn't make much of a difference to her if she did fall for a girl, but she wasn't too sure Misaki was her "type" - not that she knew what her type would be under those circumstances...

She caught his frown when she flicked her eyes back up to him, wondering if the conversation might be easier with him at eye level or if she was more comfortable with him mostly out of sight.

"Need a good man to pass the business to," she said with an indifferent shrug. "Besides, my dad seems to think marriage is all girls are good for, and then only when they're young and pretty."

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some_other_dog
2009-06-27 02:08 am UTC (link)

He lifted his chin up off his palm and instead clasped his hands together between his long legs, hunched over but no longer looking down at her. Instead he was once again admiring the cityscape sprawled out in front of him. All of the taller buildings were off in the distance away from the school, so the view from up high was relatively unspoiled around the school.

“I’m not acting like Kanaye,” he grouched, sounding rightfully offended. There was an unspoken ‘say that again and I’ll belt you’ in his tone.

“Well if your dad’s just concerned about business, I’m sure my dad could take it off your family’s hands, and you’d be free to marry any spineless dolt to order around you wanted to.”

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apathyisboring
2009-06-27 02:11 am UTC (link)

The laugh she responded with was cynical and perhaps a little bitter. She didn't even want to think about the particular ways in which Daddy Shirai would "take the business off their hands." Besides, she reminded herself, it was a terrible thing to wish failure upon the family.

It took a moment for it to sink in that what he was offering was actually some bizarrely twisted form of help. Sure, it was probably something he'd just thrown out there spur of the moment, but even so, she knew what to make of it about as well as she knew what to make of a flying pig. Her mouth opened and closed again as she tried to figure out what to say.
"Thanks, that's almost kind?"
"Are you sure you didn't mean to sound more threatening?"
"Did you knock your head one too many times?"
"I'm Ikeda-bitch, remember?"

"... When are you free to learn your part of the presentation?"

Her answer sounded as lame as felt, the long pause preceeding it only contributing to the anticlimax.

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some_other_dog
2009-06-27 02:12 am UTC (link)

He cocked an eyebrow at the laughter, but let it alone. The jaded laugh was offputting, even for her; he wasn’t used to this version of her. He wouldn’t describe her as vulnerable, but perhaps.. Approaching it? He didn’t know. Scratching his head, he went back to silently smoking his cigarette and trying not to focus too hard on her.

“I don’t have a set schedule. So you could say I’m free whenever.”

He knew she’d changed the subject, but mocking her about it would likely make her clam up harder, and calling her out on it would make it seem like he.. cared .

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